Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 2 · column 5 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Until a medical emergency becomes a reality, people often forget about Virginia’s pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies that stand ready to respond 24 hours a day, every day.
May 18-24 is designated as Virginia Emergency Medical Services Week to recognize volunteer and career rescue squads, fire departments, commercial ambulance services and helicopter medevac units. The theme of EMS Week 1997 is “EMS: Making a Difference for Life.”
EMS is a life-saving team that includes citizens with CPR or first-aid training, police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, 911 operators and emergency physicians and nurses. They all share the dedication and pride that comes from knowing they make a real difference in their community — a difference for life.
Every EMS agency in Virginia meets, and in most cases, exceeds minimum statewide standards for training, equipment, sanitation and safety. The ambulances are staffed by emergency medical technicians, shock trauma technicians, cardiac technicians or paramedics. Nearly half of the EMS agencies operate “emergency department on wheels,” using sophisticated communications links between the hospital and the field.
“Virginia has one of the finest EMS systems in the nation,” said Governor George Allen. “Our volunteer and career EMS providers make a tremendous commitment of time and training for the public they serve. It is vital that the public know how to properly access the EMS system through 911 or other emergency numbers. When we combine quick access to high-quality EMS with citizen training in first aid and CPR, we make a good EMS system
96.9%